GIS Internship – Land Conversion Mapping

Job description

About The Project

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) works in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) through the North Luangwa Conservation Programme (NLCP) and Nsumbu-Tanganyika Conservation Programme (NTCP) to protect and conserve the North Luangwa and Nsumbu-Tanganyika landscapes, respectively. The NLCP & NTCP support effective and efficient protected area management, with a wider focus on empowering communities to manage natural resources in the Game Management Areas adjacent to the parks. The NLCP’s mission ‘Linking livelihoods and landscape’ and the NTCP’s mission of ‘Conserving landscapes, enriching lives’ both seek to address their key challenges by taking holistic approaches for more resilient socio-ecological systems.

About The Position

FZS Zambia is seeking one recent graduate from a Degree in Geography, Environmental Science, or a related field with a focus on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The purpose of the role is to map land conversion from natural habitat to human settlements and agriculture in the North Luangwa and Nsumbu Tanganyika landscapes to inform land use planning and conservation decisions.

To be considered for the positions, applicants must have their own functioning laptops. Successful applicants will be based at Marula Puku within North Luangwa National Park, however, will also spend some time in Nsumbu Town, Northern Province, and will be trained and mentored by the Ecological Monitoring Department staff. The duration of the internship is two months with the opportunity to extend.

Your Tasks

Using QGIS, download high resolution Sentinel-2 and Planet NICFI imagery
Identify and manually digitise areas of land conversion with precision and attention to detail
Accurately record metadata for each digitised polygon to enable in-depth analyses
Provide weekly progress reports on the area digitized and jurisdictions completed
Participate in the development of reports and presentations that communicate findings to colleagues and stakeholders

Your Profile

A degree in Geography, Environmental Science, or a related field with a focus on GIS
High degree of proficiency in QGIS or other geospatial software
Proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
Good written and spoken English communication skills
Keen interest in conservation and human wildlife coexistence

Your Application

Your Application Should Include a Chronological CV In PDF Format, a 1-page Cover Letter, And a Map Illustrating Some Of Your Previous Work. The Cover Letter Will Be Used To Judge The Quality Of Your Application And Should Answer The Following

What interests you most about the position?
Your relevant GIS experience and level of proficiency
The most important technical skills that you will bring to the role

Two references with a short description of your working relationship and their contact details.

Please submit your application by Wednesday 2nd April 2025.

About Us

Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is an internationally operating conservation organisation based in Germany that has been supporting conservation projects in Africa, South America, South East Asia and Europe for many decades. Following our mission to conserve wildlife and ecosystems we are focusing on protected areas and outstanding wild places.